Call for Papers
Special Topic on “Economy, Industry and Business in Asia-Pacific Islands”
Okinawan Journal of Island Studies (OJIS), Volume 6 (March 2025)

Editors:
Tetsuo Umemura, Nagoya University, umemura@gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Jun Oshiro, University of the Ryukyus, j-oshiro@grs.u-ryukyu.ac.jp
Yoko Fujita, University of the Ryukyus, yfujita@eve.u-ryukyu.ac.jp
Important Dates:
Submission Entry Deadline: May 31, 2024 June 30, 2024
*The title of the paper (Minor changes are acceptable.), authors’ name(s), affiliation(s), and full postal
and email addresses should be submitted by email.
Full Paper Submission Deadline: September 10, 2024
Expected Publication: March 2025
Submission and inquiries:
OJIS(vol.6) Editor in Chief, Yoko Fujita, Research Institute for Islands and Sustainability (RIIS),
University of the Ryukyus
Email address for submission and inquiry: edit_office@ojis.skr.u-ryukyu.ac.jp

Published by:
Research Institute for Islands and Sustainability, University of the Ryukyus

About the special topic on “Economy, Industry and Business in Asia-Pacific Islands”
This special topic for Volume 6 of the Okinawan Journal of Island Studies aims to uncover challengesand opportunities in Asia and the Pacific islands, focusing on the economy, industry, and business.
Background
Small islands in the Asia-Pacific region have unique traits compared to other regions in terms of modernhistory, particularly colonial rule, natural environments, and economic geography. Building a strategic
framework for achieving sustainable development remains one of the most challenging and unresolved
problems in Asia-Pacific small islands. Whereas a growing body of literature on the small islands has

focused on Western islands, the research in Asia and the Pacific islands remains fairly
underrepresented. Little is known about realizing potential and building capabilities for small-sizedbusinesses in Asia-Pacific islands.
Aim and Scope
This special topic is intended to understand idiosyncratic characteristics and obstacles of the economy in
Asia and the Pacific islands. We provide a basis to investigate the impacts of unique traits on the island
economies and set an agenda for designing alternative development strategies tailored to the AsiaPacific small islands.
In addition, we aim to deepen and refine how we understand the nature of small islands. Island studies,or nissology, have often been substantially limited due to the lack of both data availability and theoreticalnovelty. Recent innovations, such as in data collection and empirical methodology, help to overcome
existing difficulties.
Objectives of this Special TopicIn this context, we solicit submissions to a special topic of the Okinawan Journal of Island Studies on theAsia-Pacific-specific challenges of understanding and managing island economies.
We welcome contributions addressing, but not limited to, the following inquiries:
Identifying a promising developing path and growth pattern for prosperous small islands toovercome adverse effects of natural geographical characteristics.

Comparing structures and growth trajectories between small islands and other regions to uncoverboth advantages and disadvantages of Asia-Pacific islands.

Deepening insights about major characteristics of islands, such as oceanity, remoteness,
smallness, and vulnerability, and combining them with concepts drawn from economics andmanagement science like competition, coordination, and economies of scale.

Examining the impacts of secular, irreversible transformations on small islands such as climatechange, an outflow of young labor force, geopolitical shift, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Offering practical implications in decision-making and problem-solving supported by rigorous
evaluation of deliberated interventions with relevant datasets.

Recognizing that problems that arise in small islands are inherently multifaceted, we welcome the fullbreadth of the interdisciplinary studies grounded in social science. Through multilateral studies, we
expect to advance a comprehensive understanding of features and problems in small islands in the AsiaPacific region and to concretely seek policies and strategies compatible with both development andsustainability. This special issue also provides a forum for researchers and practitioners to re-discoversmall islands as a thrilling topic of intellectual journey.

Topics of Interest

This special topic seeks a wide range of articles pushing the previous literature's boundaries andproviding novel insights into economy and life in small islands. Manuscripts discussing case studies inthe Asia-Pacific islands or a cross-territorial comparison that involves non-Asian localities are welcome.
Novel approaches using new datasets are encouraged.
Marine resources, Maritime transportation, Blue economyAgriculture, Forestry, Fishery, Natural resource businesses

Tourism management and hospitalityMarketing strategy, Innovation



Human capital, Capacity building

Public finance and local governanceInternational cooperation and aid

Income gap within island and with other regions, Change of consumption, improvement of qualityof life, Economic opportunities



Investment and economic growth (spillovers/leakages from foreign investment)

Transboundary flows of people and goods (trade, transportation, distribution, migration)

Social mechanisms and activities that promote the use of renewable energyPotential by advancement of IT and telecommunication

Empirical regularities in comparative economic development

Risk management and improvement of resilience to natural disasters and pandemic-induceddisruptionMeasures and policies to address/mitigate social damage by environmental threats (adoption ofclimate change, payments for ecosystem services, waste management, etc.)

Other topics related to economy, industry, and business in the Asia-Pacific islands

Guidelines for All Types of Manuscript
1. The title of the paper, author’s or authors’ name(s), affiliation(s), and full postal and email addresses
should be submitted on a separate page (the title page).
2. Contributors should submit by email an electronic copy of their manuscript as a docx file to the email
address informed on the OJIS website in April 2024.
3. Copyrights of accepted manuscripts belong to RIIS.
4. Formatting of English manuscripts for OJIS should follow the most updated edition of the Chicago
Manual of Style for author-date style.
5. Manuscripts should be written in excellent English. Regional varieties of English are acceptable if they
are consistent throughout the paper. If you have questions about this, please contact the editors.
6. Names used in the manuscript should be written in the order of given name followed by family name.
If your manuscript uses a different name-ordering convention, please indicate so on the title page forconsideration.
7. Manuscripts should use A4 or letter paper-size with the following format: (a) a margin of 2.5cm (1 inch)should be set for every edge; (b) double-spaced text; and (c) 12 point font in (d) Times New Roman.
8. JPEG or TIFF or PDF format is preferred for graphs and photographs. The minimum resolution mustbe 600dpi for black and white, and 300dpi for color images.
Guideline for “Paper”
1. Papers should be no longer than 9,000 words, including figures, footnotes/endnotes (if any), and areference section. Papers should be accompanied by an abstract of about 300 words.
2. Please add a short biography of less than 200 words. Information should include institutional affiliation,
publications, and current research projects or interests.
3. Please list up to five keywords for the manuscript.
4. The headings “Abstract,” “Notes,” and “References,” as well as section headings, should be 14 inboldface; subsection headings should be in boldface and italics. If endnotes are used, they should
follow the body of the paper and be followed by the list of works cited.
5. All submissions must be formatted according to these guidelines in order to be considered forpublication.
Guideline for “Book Review”
1. Book reviews should be no longer than 3,500 words, including figures, footnotes/endnotes (if any),and a reference section.
2. Please add a short biography of less than 200 words. Information should include institutional affiliation,publications, and current research projects or interests.
3. All submissions must be formatted according to these guidelines in order to be considered forpublication.
Guideline for “Forum”
1. We welcome reports on the current economic and fiscal situation in the Asia-Pacific islands andrelated data.
2. Written works should not exceed 3,000 words and must be sent in docx format.
3. Follow guidelines #4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 in the Manuscript Guidelines section above for formatting.
4. Visual art submissions must be in either JPEG or GIF or PDF format.
5. In principle, submissions must not have been previously published in print or online. Authors are
responsible for determining whether fair use may be invoked for third-party materials (authors will stillneed to obtain permission for third-party works that are not utilized under fair use and to pay all
reproduction fees).
6. Any documents granting permission for use of third-party materials should be kept by the author, whowill provide copies when submitting final materials for publication to the editorial assistant. Since OJIS
is a peer reviewed journal, all forum submissions will be screened and reviewed to determine if thecontents align with the objectives of the forum.

Guideline for Others:
1. Interviews/conversations (2,000-3,000 words) with economists, financiers, policy makers, businessowners, scholars, etc. in your island.
2. Reports/reflections/essays (1,000 words) on events or actions related to the economy, business, andlivelihood organized in your island.
3. An audio, video, or multimedia piece (1,000-word research statement).